Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In continuing my speech on the address-in-reply, I have been speaking about my electorate of Parramatta and two of the great underdeveloped talents of the area, particularly its tourism assets and its open space. In relation to both, the river itself is an asset which is well and truly due for reconsideration. While most of the heritage assets in Parramatta are within walking distance from the river, you still cannot walk along the river from one to another. The ferry service that runs from Circular Quay to Parramatta is unreliable and under threat, even though vessels of some sort have been plying the route to Parramatta and carrying passengers for some 200 years. We in Parramatta insist on an improved tourist connection between Homebush and Parramatta. There are tourist stops down the river, but the ferry does not stop there. It does not stop at the armoury at Newington, for example; it does not go from Homebush, the Olympic Park site, to Parramatta. We have better restaurants in Parramatta than areas downstream of Newington, Ermington and Rhodes, where upmarket residential developments are being put in. But there is no evening service to take people to Parramatta for dinner, or to the Riverside Theatre, and return. The river connects us, and for 200 years we have been a river city. We are well and truly overdue for a review of the extraordinary connection that the river provides for us.

I have been talking so far about some of the elements that are missing, but one cannot talk about tourism in Parramatta without talking about what is there. There are already small commercial tour operators, ghost tours, provedores and many individual attractions, such as Old Government House, where much of the history of early Australian government took place. Elizabeth Macarthur Farm is there, as is Hambledon Cottage, the female convict factory, the girls orphanage, the site of the Government Farm and the first Australian town planned street and subdivision.  There is also the old King’s School—the original site and the new one—the oldest ongoing private school in the country; and the Lancer Barracks, which is the oldest working barracks in the country. It is an extraordinary place in a river setting and it is well overdue for substantial work over the next decade to position it, as it should be, as one of Australia’s premier tourist destinations.

The second underdeveloped talent I would like to talk about is open spaces and, in particular, our creeks. If you had a machete—and I do not suggest that people go out and get one!—you could actually walk along the creeks from Parramatta to Blacktown, from Parramatta to the Castle Hill centre, from Parramatta to Merrylands and the Holroyd Centre, and from Parramatta to Homebush. There are great green corridors that snake through our suburbs. A colleague of mine who worked for the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust said there are 30 creeks within the catchment area. I have only identified 22 so far but, as I said, there are another eight. I am going to name them, because it is quite remarkable: Toongabbie, Coopers, Brickfield, Ponds, Vineyard, Quarry Branch, Finlaysons, Domain, Hunts, Darling Mills, Caddies, Saw Mill, Ashlar, Blacktown, Breakfast, First Ponds, Girraween, Grantham, Greystanes, Lalor, Turner and Quarry.

These creeks are extraordinary community assets, but, because they used to be flood lands and we really were not comfortable with them and did not really like the bushland, we built our cities with our backs to them. We did not appreciate them and we could not develop what was flood land so we put public assets on them. So now we have a really interesting situation in our community, with great, green, largely unused corridors that run past the back of many of our public spaces. They run past the back ovals of our schools, our sports fields, our community centres and our childcare centres, which are now quite often built on those parks. Our public housing estates are built with their backs to them, as are our industrial areas which employ so many of our citizens, and many of our biggest corporate citizens are built on the banks of these creeks, with their backs to them.

We built our cities well and truly facing the wrong way, and all we need to do to appreciate the potential of these wonderful creeks is turn around and see what extraordinary assets they are, and recognise that, untapped as they are, overgrown as they are—and sometimes drained almost out of existence—they do actually connect the places where we work, study and live. They are significant corridors that flow through our communities, linking our homes to our schools to our parks to our workplaces and, because so many of our railway stations and shopping centres were built on the connections between the tributaries of our creeks, to our train stations and to our shopping centres. If you go down to these creeks, you will quite often find that people have developed informal pathways or shortcuts between some of our community centres, the places where we gather. Some of the creeks have been channelled almost out of existence and they are largely concrete drains, but even those still have green space on either side. Others, particularly Toongabbie Creek and Darling Mills Creek, are really splendid. They are particularly extraordinary if you imagine them as they could be rather than as they are now, as great as some sections are.

Over the next little while, it would be fabulous to see our community turn around and face these wonderful assets for a moment and imagine how our community could look in 10 or 15 years if we restored those creeks to the status that they had in the early days of settlement, when they really were the lifeline and the method of travel between the different centres.

When Parramatta City Council surveyed its residents recently, it found that one of the most sought-after attributes for their city was open space to exercise, walk and cycle. National surveys also reflect that, particularly among women, who are looking for free, outdoor, safe places to exercise by themselves and with their children. We have them in Parramatta. We actually have more creeks than most because we are in the upper catchment of a major river, but they are in fact down at the back of people’s yards.

There are many people in my community who are strongly attached to the creeks: I have identified 22 creeks and I have also identified 22 Bushcare groups, formal groups that work regularly along their banks. And that is not counting the many schools that back onto the creeks that also have their own environmental programs. Catherine McAuley College do great work in the wetlands behind their school, so too do the students from Northmead High School. But imagine if we could all walk or cycle along or beside these creeks from Parramatta to Blacktown, to Castle Hill, to Merrylands and to Homebush. What if we revegetated them with native plants and then extended those wildlife corridors into surrounding gardens and parks?

Vineyard Creek in Rydalmere is perhaps one of the best examples because it is small but quite significant. Part of Vineyard Creek runs from Kissing Point Road south to the Parramatta River over no more than a kilometre. In that kilometre it passes the back of Macquarie Boys High School and the University of Western Sydney. It crosses Victoria Road, with its bus routes. It goes past Rydalmere railway station and then past several factories in the industrial estate of Rydalmere before it crosses the Parramatta River cycleway on the bank of the river, which is the major piece of cycling infrastructure between Homebush and Parramatta. While it is not used this way at the moment, it is a significant potential link between Pennant Hills Road and the cycleway to Parramatta and a number of significant community assets in between.

Vineyard Creek is one of the creeks in the area where flood mitigation work and development of housing estates upstream have dramatically altered the creek. A committed group of people who formed the Vineyard Creek Reserve Park Committee have worked hard to keep the creek clean, yet it remains a very good example of an unused natural corridor where the community could have both a useful walking and cycling track and improved native vegetation and a healthier creek. It is also a good example of the complexities of finding solutions. The banks are owned by the state government departments for education and health, the University of Western Sydney, the State Rail Authority, Parramatta council, some private businesses and a number of private residences who own the land down to where the banks of the creek used to be prior to flood mitigation work which rechannelled the creek. It is very complicated but it has incredible potential.

We need to balance the protection of native vegetation with community space and cyclepaths. My experts tell me that creeks need about one-third native vegetation, one-third vegetation with bike paths or walking tracks, and one-third parks and playgrounds. Some, like Darling Mills Creek, are in remarkable shape and would not be appropriate for either bike paths or playgrounds, but others that have been channelled already may be suitable for more developed bike paths and walking tracks. There are parts that host remnants of bushland that clearly need protecting. There are convict ruins around Toongabbie Creek and Indigenous artefacts and paintings that need to be preserved. I am aware of some unofficial walking tracks that link through some of our creeks to Lake Parramatta and of some unofficial mountain bike tracks through sensitive bushland areas. I do not know whether the one-third, one-third, one-third balance is right and I have no doubt that debate would ensue. One of the things about creeks is that our roads do not cross them all that often, so even where it is not possible or not appropriate to put a bike path within the banks of the creeks, roads tend to snake along them. So they still form corridors through our community that link our major centres.

There is also a proven model for refurbishments of the concrete drains. The Total Environment Centre of New South Wales has a methodology, and Fairfield council has done good work in recreating creek and native vegetation where there were once concrete drains in their local government area. The Rudd government has committed $1.2 million to linking bike paths and creek refurbishments between Parramatta and Blacktown, and this is an important step in reinstating the extraordinary green corridors that snake through our community. Much of the analysis of the region is done. The Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust was created for flood mitigation but worked on broader issues later. There was a multi-use recreational pathway concept plan, put together by the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust, which has now been abolished, there is a green corridor strategy also put together by the Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust, and the Total Environment Centre has produced a methodology for the restoration of degraded rivers and streams. Parramatta council and the 22 local Bushcare groups and local schools have done a lot of work.

This one sits beneath the surface because it is extremely difficult. There are four councils, for a start, and no single local person, state government, federal government or community can achieve it on its own. Just imagine what our community would be like if we lived along these creeks and they were not behind us but were part of our community—if it was possible to kick a soccer ball around, cycle from home to the workplace, walk with your child in a pram down to the local playground or have a barbecue with mates beside the creek. They are an extraordinary asset. We have open water in Parramatta, yet Lake Parramatta with its open water and Parramatta Park with its cycling track are linked by a creek which you currently cannot walk along. Imagine the Parramatta triathlon linking Parramatta Park and Lake Parramatta. The potential is all there and is quite extraordinary. The refurbishment of the green corridors and Parramatta’s tourism development are related, because so much of Parramatta’s history took place along the river. I look forward to a time when these natural assets are well and truly put back into the service of our community.

Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to start my address-in-reply speech by thanking the people of Greenway for re-electing me and for giving me the privilege and honour of being their federal representative again. Over the past three years, prior to the recent election, I have worked extremely hard to ensure my community has access to services, infrastructure and equipment, and I will continue to work hard for the people of Greenway. The electorate of Greenway spans some 2,886 square kilometres and is bordered by the M7 to the south, the north-west growth corridor and the Hawkesbury and Penrith local government areas.

Three years ago I committed to the community that I would work hard to deliver much needed services and funding to the area. Over the past three years, I have worked hard to deliver services and assistance that include an Australian technical college; a family relationship centre; the first solar city for New South Wales; a Royal Life Saving aquatic training centre; a Medicare funded MRI licence for Blacktown Hospital; a mobile after-hours GP service for the Hawkesbury; additional home care equipment, particularly for palliative care patients, in the Hawkesbury; around $3 million for a new primary school at Second Ponds Creek; and half a million dollars for the upgrade of the gym at UWS Hawkesbury campus—to name a few.

I also want to note that several roads have already been upgraded or are in the process of being upgraded due to federal funding that I was able to secure. These include Racecourse Road at Clarendon, a roundabout at Fiveways in Oakville, upgrading of St Albans Road, and a safety upgrade to Old Bells Line of Road and Bells Line of Road at Kurrajong. Prior to the election, I also committed to keep Richmond RAAF base operational.

The electorate has schools that need equipment and facility upgrades. When the coalition was in government we listened and responded with the Investing in Our Schools Program. It was because of our strong economic management that many schools across my electorate were able to upgrade equipment through the Investing in Our Schools Program—equipment the state Labor government has failed to deliver—equipment such as computers, library resources, security fencing, toilet block upgrades and shade areas. And now we see the Rudd Labor government has abolished this successful program and replaced it with the digital revolution, a plan to provide new upgraded information and ITC to secondary school students—from year 9 to 12—only. This funding is only available to secondary school students. What about primary school students? The previous coalition government had a very successful school equipment funding program open to all primary and secondary schools. This has been replaced with a funding program only open to secondary schools and so now primary schools across our nation will miss out.

The coalition government listened and responded to rural Australia, providing rural assistance to farmers during the drought as well as additional funding to provide road upgrades to regional areas through the AusLink program—unlike the Rudd Labor government, who are sending in their razor gang who propose to slash regional funding. It is because of the AusLink funding that roads such as Racecourse Road and Fiveways, which I have already mentioned, and the intersection at Old Bells Line of Road have been able to be upgraded and people can travel safely. Ultimately, this is about saving lives.

Prior to the 2007 election, the then coalition government committed to funding an additional seven roads in the Hawkesbury under the regional program, including Freemans Reach Road, Comleroy Road, Terrace Road, Grose Vale Road, Scheyville Road, old East Kurrajong Road and Howse Creek. I call on the Australian government to recognise these roads as important and to honour the commitment made by the previous coalition government. Safety on our roads should be beyond politics, and the Australian government should do the right thing and fix these roads.

It has been six months since the equine influenza epidemic broke out in Australia and crippled the equine industry and associated businesses. It affected many people in the Hawkesbury. I was delighted, after lobbying the then Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon. Peter McGauran, that the coalition government announced funding to assist the equine industry. I was pleased to hear the Australian government recently announced an extension of this funding. What concerns me is the lack of foresight by this current government in failing to recognise that, even though the quarantine zones are lifted, people will continue to financially suffer, in some instances for a period of two years. I recently met with representatives from the Arabian Horse Society of Australia, where I listened to the challenges breeders are experiencing now, and will experience beyond, as a result of equine influenza. I ask the Australian government to acknowledge the challenges and hardships faced by the equine industry and to continue to provide financial assistance to those who may still require it beyond the time period when the quarantine zones have been lifted.

Families are the core of our community and when a family needs help we need to have the services there to assist them. Prior to entering parliament I was a social worker. I saw the need for services which encourage families to work through the challenges they face and which support them to find solutions. I worked hard to ensure my electorate of Greenway was a beneficiary of one of the coalition government’s family relationship centres. The family relationship centre provides an opportunity for families to meet with experienced counsellors and work to resolve challenges, issues and conflict. I would like to congratulate in particular Anne Holland from Relationships Australia and the team, led by Cheryl Charlesworth, at Blacktown for the wonderful work being done to assist families requiring assistance.

Richmond RAAF Base in my electorate employs over 3,000 people and is home to the C130s. The potential closure of the base would have had a large impact on the community, given that the base adds over $401 million to the regional economy annually and contributes to over nine per cent of the total regional employment. Over 6,000 jobs across the New South Wales region come directly or indirectly from the Richmond RAAF Base and its existence. The RAAF Base Richmond offers support to Sydney based specialised Defence Force units, in particular the Tactical Assault Group (East), the 4th Battalion commando Royal Australian Regiment, 4RAR, and the Incident Response Regiment. On 11 August last year I was able to announce with the then Minister for Defence, the Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson, that RAAF Base Richmond was to remain permanently operational.

The Hawkesbury region is also significant for both its environment and water. I will be holding and encouraging the Rudd Labor government to continue the commitment by the coalition government to provide $132.5 million to improve the Hawkesbury Nepean River, particularly the South Creek catchment area. I noted the member for Parramatta talked about many of the creeks which are shared by her and me in our electorates. They will benefit from the $132.5 million. The funding will have significant outcomes not just for the Hawkesbury region but for the greater South Creek catchment. They include: improved water quality in the Hawkesbury River from improved treatment of sewerage and stormwater discharges and reduced nutrient run-off from agriculture and open space area; additional water savings for use as environmental flows; increased water recycling and re-use; a reduction in the use of Sydney’s drinking water supplies for non-drinking purposes; and an improvement to the environmental and recreational values of the river.

Significant economic activity depends on the catchment. Agriculture in the region has an annual farm gate value of over $1 billion, and eggs, poultry, fresh vegetables, flowers and fruit are supplied to Sydney markets. The river also supports oyster and prawn farming, extensive horse breeding and a turf industry. The Hawkesbury-Nepean is a catchment of national significance. It supplies over 97 per cent of the drinking water from metropolitan Sydney, and its water supports the generation of approximately 70 per cent of Sydney’s income. As I said previously, I will be encouraging the Rudd Labor government to keep and continue the commitment by the coalition government to provide $132.5 million to improve the Hawkesbury-Nepean River. Sydney depends on it.

There are many much-needed services in my electorate of Greenway that run on a shoestring budget, such as Richmond Community Services Inc., an organisation that offers support and assistance to families in the Hawkesbury community. One of their sources of funding is Local Answers, a funding program which provides funding for organisations such as Richmond Community Services Inc. so that they can do great work on the ground. As of this moment, Richmond Community Services Inc. do not know if any further recurrent funding will be available to them through Local Answers after 2009. The Australian government has yet to confirm this. I can confirm that funding from the Local Grants Scheme has been cut. This funding enabled local emergency services to apply for funding so they could either start from scratch or upgrade equipment for areas such as communications and operations centres.

Last year, Hawkesbury council received over $39,000 in funding to upgrade communications at the SES operations centre. The Hawkesbury Rural Fire Service’s communications and operations centre need that communication equipment upgraded but now, because of this funding being given the axe, local emergency service control and communication centres will have no way to upgrade. I will be fighting to find ways that emergency services in the electorate of Greenway will be able to access funding for much-needed equipment.

As we move forward I have a plan in place. This plan includes holding the Rudd Labor government to account on commitments made that will benefit my electorate. It should not matter if they were made by the then coalition government; they should be recognised as areas of importance to a local community and treated as such. I will be putting pressure on the Australian government to ensure the $132.5 million committed to the Hawkesbury-Nepean River is honoured. I will also be putting pressure on the government to prioritise road funding for the roads that have been identified as needing a safety upgrade in the Hawkesbury.

It will also be important for the Australian government to honour the commitment made by the previous government to funding the Walking School Bus program in my electorate as a pilot program for schools in Western Sydney to promote a healthy active lifestyle and tackle the challenge of obesity that our children face. I will also be encouraging the Australian government to confirm the commitment by the coalition government that Richmond RAAF Base will remain permanently operational. In addition, I will be asking the Rudd Labor government to provide funding assistance, such as the Local Grants Scheme which has already been cut, so emergency services and councils can upgrade equipment and create community plans to deal with floods and evacuations.

A good local member is someone who listens to their community and acts accordingly. As the federal member for Greenway, I will continue to listen to the community and work hard on their behalf. I can assure the people of Greenway that, whatever challenges or issues arise, they have a federal representative who is looking out for and representing their best interests. Protecting and securing our lifestyle in the region is my priority.

John Murphy (Lowe, Australian Labor Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Firstly, I again thank the constituents of Lowe for their vote of confidence in re-electing me as their representative for the 42nd Parliament. Secondly, I again thank all my ALP branch members, all my staff and all my supporters for their very hard work to ensure the ALP held Lowe. A big thankyou must also go to my wife, Adriana, for her enduring love, patience and unfailing support during the campaign. Thank you, honey.

This is my fourth term as a member of parliament. It is a great honour to be elected four times to this place, and the feeling of pride and responsibility has not diminished since my first election in 1998. My re-election to the 42nd Parliament is particularly special because of the forthcoming national renewal that the Rudd Labor government has prepared for the benefit of each and every Australian. As mentioned in the Governor-General’s speech, the Rudd government is committed to a plan to build a modern Australia that is prepared to face the challenges of the 21st century. I am extremely happy to be part of such a progressive and capable government. I am proud of the national agenda of our Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, for the 42nd Parliament. Further, I am honoured to hold the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade. In this position I will do my very best to serve the minister and the nation well.

As the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, I also look forward to doing whatever I can to help address the trade deficit that we encounter every month in Australia. Australia’s trade performance over the past decade has been dreadful, to say the least. The current trade deficit, the 70th trade deficit in a row, is $2.7 billion—the second largest trade deficit on record. That we have reached such depths should come as no surprise to those sitting opposite. Over their watch, growth in export revenues has stalled, growth in export volumes has stalled, growth in goods exports has stalled, growth in services exports has stalled, and manufacturing exports have collapsed. There can be no doubt that one of the Howard government’s shameful legacies is its failure to consolidate Australia’s financial position during this once-in-a-generation commodities boom. Australia has lacked a whole-of-government approach to improving export growth level. Indeed, Australia’s export performance over the past decade has deteriorated rapidly because the country has lacked an overall trade strategy.

Rather than reacting to challenges when it is too late, the Rudd government is now committed to proactive reform. Australia’s trade deficit may seem an insurmountable challenge, but the Minister for Trade, the Hon. Simon Crean, has already hit the ground running, and this morning he introduced the Export Market Development Grants Amendment Bill 2008 into the House. This bill will revitalise a scheme that has been seriously underfunded by the former Howard government. The new government is committed to a trade policy that will restore Australia’s level of productivity, international competitiveness and export growth. As Minister Crean said in the House today, this will be pursued within the context of a twin-pillar approach to trade policy. Multilateral trade liberalism will be pursued at the border, while economic and trade reforms will take place behind the border.

There is little point pursuing improved market access globally if Australian companies are not productive or competitive enough to take up the new opportunities. Trade performance can be enhanced by addressing the drivers of productivity—a lesson that went unheeded by the previous government, despite being in power for over 11 years. The Rudd government has only been in office for a few months but it has already committed to addressing the productivity reasons underpinning Australia’s poor export performance. That is why we are committed to Infrastructure Australia, to a national broadband network, to an education revolution, to skilling Australia and to the $200 million Enterprise Connect innovation and research scheme.

As a pillar of the government’s trade policy the minister will also be pursuing multilateral trade liberalisation across all sectors—agriculture, industrial products and services. In contrast to the Howard government’s approach of blindly pursuing bilateral agreements, with little regard for their strategic importance or compatibility with multilateral outcomes, the Rudd government’s focus will be to return to multilateralism. Bilateral agreements will no longer be seen in isolation but must be compatible with and enhance multilateral decision making. The minister has been working hard to ensure that we see a successful conclusion to the Doha Round. He has been working hard to see genuine agricultural reform in developed markets such as the United States, Europe and Japan. Abolishing trade distorting agricultural export subsidies as well as making significant cuts to market access barriers and farm subsidies will benefit not just developed countries such as Australia but also developing countries.

There can be no doubt that our region’s unprecedented economic growth and development can be attributed in part to freer global trade. However, there is much more to do. Given that 75 per cent of the world’s poor live in rural areas, reforms to global agriculture, particularly within the Doha Round, will significantly assist with poverty alleviation efforts. We cannot afford to miss a chance to raise more people out of poverty. This is one reason why the minister is so committed to multilateral trading outcomes and to a successful conclusion to the Doha Round. It is also why I will be doing everything I can to support his endeavours. That said, we should always remember that international trade is also vital to Australia’s long-term economic industry and social policy framework. Given that international trade is so instrumental to strengthening the global economic system and securing Australia’s prosperity, we need to do all we can to sustain and promote it. I look forward to continuing my work with the minister to ensure this happens.

As well as fulfilling my role as a parliamentary secretary, I will also look forward to assisting with the implementation of the medium- to long-term initiatives that the Prime Minister has outlined for Australia’s future. These reforms will benefit all Australians, including my constituents in Lowe. Although our economy has enjoyed relative prosperity, the future is uncertain. It is sobering to look at key areas which need urgent attention, following our inheritance from the Howard government. As outlined by the Governor-General, key areas include health and hospitals, child care and education, housing affordability and homelessness, industrial relations, skills shortages, infrastructure, cooperative federalism, Indigenous affairs, foreign relations and, last but not least, climate change. I have no illusion about the hefty task which lies ahead, but the Australian people have entrusted this government to steer Australia through this uncertain time.

I am also proud to say that the Prime Minister has embarked on delivering the government’s key promises with alacrity. The Rudd government has already delivered on several key promises made during the federal campaign. Firstly, before the new government saw its first sitting at Parliament House, the Prime Minister ratified the Kyoto protocol. With a mandate from the Australian people, the Prime Minister of Australia joined with other nations in ratifying the Kyoto protocol. He signed on behalf of the Australian people, acknowledging climate change as a global problem and hence a global responsibility. I applaud the Prime Minister for doing something the former government refused to do for over 11 years. He listened to the people and finally put climate change on the agenda.

Secondly, the Prime Minister made history on 13 February this year by saying sorry to the stolen generation. The apology is an acknowledgement of the wrongs of the past, an acknowledgement of the pain and suffering of our Indigenous Australians, and it offers hope to future generations. The apology is a symbol of this government’s belief in unity rather than segregation as it moves a step closer on the journey to reconciliation.

While some opposition members have criticised the government for symbolism and rhetoric, I draw their attention to the first Council of Australian Governments, or COAG, meeting after the election, held in December last year, where the Commonwealth government committed $150 million to the states for an immediate blitz on hospital waiting lists. New South Wales, for example, received $43.3 million, which equates to 8,743 additional elective surgery procedures in 2008 alone. This act of cooperative federalism is more than mere symbolism. The 8,743 people who will receive this treatment will know its real worth when they are recovering from an operation for which they would otherwise have been waiting far longer than clinically recommended. This is an example of cooperative federalism we did not see in the last decade, and I am excited about the future—to think, if this can be achieved in 10 weeks after an election and in one parliamentary sitting week, what could be achieved in a year.

In the area of health, I again applaud the government and the Minister for Health and Ageing for announcing the Teen Dental Plan. This is a targeted initiative with long-term benefits. Teenagers have been targeted because they do not have the same access to school dental services that many primary school students do. It is abundantly clear that dental health was a growing area of concern which warranted the government’s immediate attention and action. It is alarming to note that, according to the OECD, the dental health of Australian adults ranks second worst in the OECD and, further, a rapid deterioration in dental health is observed in the teenage years. Under the Howard government’s watch, dental health experts reported that almost half of all teenagers have some sign of gum disease, with a fourfold increase in dental decay for those aged between 12 and 21.

In light of the alarming statistics, the Teen Dental Plan is a much-needed initiative to ensure the future health of our children. The initiative will assist over one million Australian teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 with dental costs. Under this plan, eligible families will be able to claim up to $150 towards the cost of an annual preventative check for each teenage child. This plan will be effective as of July 2008 and represents a healthy future for young Australians. It is part of a long-term vision to reduce expensive dental procedures later in life. It is an initiative that will be part of the government’s broader plan to re-establish the Commonwealth dental scheme abolished by the Howard government in 1998.

The dental health policy is an important outcome for the 4,000 people in my electorate who signed my petition to re-establish the Commonwealth dental scheme. I am pleased to say today that their calls have been answered and I look forward to further progress with this health initiative.

In the area of child care and education, the Rudd government is increasing the quality and accessibility of all forms of education, from preschools to trade schools to postgraduate research fellowships. The Prime Minister recognises that education is critical to the long-term productivity and economic prosperity of our nation. I was extremely pleased to learn that several schools within my electorate of Lowe have been selected to apply for first-round offers under the National Secondary School Computer Fund. The assessment is needs based and aims to assist those schools with an immediate need. It is part of the plan for an education revolution which will include $1 billion over four years to provide all students in years 9 to 12 with access to information and communications technology.

As highlighted by the Governor-General, the new government is looking to equip our nation with the right tools to remain competitive in the 21st century, and the Rudd government’s investment in information and communications technology is testament to this. Such initiatives are extremely important in the electorate of Lowe, as there are close to 20 secondary schools servicing thousands of high-school students. I look forward to the opportunities offered to them under the Rudd government.

For the thousands of working families in my electorate, the announcement of 260 new quality childcare centres being opened in schools, TAFEs and universities is most welcome. When coupled with the government’s childcare tax rebate increase from 30 per cent to 50 per cent, the combination will greatly alleviate the shortage in supply and improve the financial viability of child care, allowing parents to re-enter the workforce and help address workforce shortages.

In the area of shortages, vocational education and training has been placed firmly on the agenda in an attempt to address the severe skills shortages we are currently experiencing. In addition to TAFE colleges, the government proposes to implement the Trades Training Centres in Schools plan. Offering courses in schools such as hairdressing, plumbing and woodworking aims to improve year 12 retention rates. It is estimated that the current 75 per cent year 12 retention rate could be improved to 90 per cent by 2020, which would add an estimated $9 billion to our economy.

The government will also dedicate further funding to postgraduate research fellowships, attracting the best of the best to ensure that Australia remains in the forefront of research and development. The government is endeavouring to improve both the quality and quantity of education in Australia.

To ensure that well-educated, well-equipped Australians enter a fair and flexible workplace, as of yesterday Work Choices has been abolished. Australian workplace agreements have been abolished and existing AWAs will be phased out, which delivers another key election promise.

The Rudd government seeks to find the right balance between flexibility and fairness for all working Australians and business owners. The new workplace relations system will provide a safety net with further minimum conditions including the right to bargain collectively for wages and conditions. It will mean fairness for both employers and employees if an employee is dismissed. It will protect the most vulnerable in our workforce such as the young, the aged and the low-skilled.

One of the largest threats facing our economy—indeed the world—is climate change. As mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister ratified the Kyoto protocol and joined the community of nations to address the enormous challenge of global warming. At a national level, the Prime Minister has committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 60 per cent on 2000 levels by 2050. To meet these targets, a national emissions trading scheme will be established by the year 2010. Alongside a trading scheme, the government has set a renewable energy target of 20 per cent by 2020. The abundance of solar and wind power in Australia will be utilised to help in the fight against rising temperatures and increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The water crisis, which is of national importance, will require a collective response with the Commonwealth and state governments cooperating to effectively deliver improved strategy and management. Again, the government will invest in long-term, sustainable measures by improving irrigation and infrastructure and by maintaining close consultation with farmers, scientists and other stakeholders.

In the area of housing, the government will establish first home saver accounts, which will reward disciplined savings with government contributions. Housing affordability is at an all-time low and, for young families trying to secure a home, it is extremely disheartening. The home saver funds will assist people to save a larger deposit and will improve housing affordability.

On the supply side, the government is releasing Commonwealth land and investing $500 million into housing linked infrastructure. It hopes to provide financial incentives to encourage private sector investment in affordable rental properties. Housing is another crisis area that will require the cooperation of all levels of government. It is a major task, but a national strategy will be found to deal with the stress it is creating for all Australians, particularly young Australians, at the moment. Unlike the former government, the Rudd government is willing to cooperate with state and local governments to achieve long-term, sustainable outcomes for all Australians.

Housing affordability is of particular importance in my electorate of Lowe as approximately 38 per cent of my constituency is experiencing either mortgage or rental stress. This is an extremely difficult time for those households, coupled with rising interest rates, grocery prices and petrol prices. These are difficult days, and I am delighted that the Rudd government has already appointed a commissioner to monitor both grocery and petrol prices. I would also like to note that we have inherited the highest inflation rate in 16 years. Although it is a very challenging economic circumstance Australia now faces, fiscal restraint and a five-point plan are measures that this government will implement to manage interest rates and inflation. I am very confident that the Rudd government will be very capable economic managers.

I take this opportunity as my time is coming to a close to note the government’s Indigenous policy for the many constituents in my electorate of Lowe who are very strong advocates of reconciliation. For Indigenous Australians, the government will seek to close the abominable 17-year life expectancy gap through education and health initiatives, and I believe that every Australian would want to see that. The initiatives cover three main areas, including closing the 17-year life expectancy gap, halving infant mortality rates and halving the education achievement gap which currently exist. The policy initiatives I have referred to are neither exhaustive nor detailed. They are not quick fixes; they are medium- to long-term plans with a view to improving overall economic and social prosperity sustainable for future generations.

The numerous challenges we now face are complex, and many of them are influenced by both internal and external factors. We are acutely aware of what is happening with the American economy at the moment and the implications for our own economy and other economies—particularly our important trading partners. This is going to be a great challenge for the Rudd government over the next 2½ years. I am confident we will rise to that challenge.

Finally, the government recognises that cooperation is needed from all levels of government, as I have mentioned, to create lasting change. It also recognises the benefit of an inclusive approach to dealing with a problem. On 19 and 20 April the federal government will convene the Australia 2020 summit. It will bring together 1,000 of Australia’s best and brightest minds to discuss and debate Australia’s long-term future. Active participation is encouraged by this government to help create a vibrant democracy. This is a government that is willing to listen to the Australian people. It is a government with fresh eyes and a long-term vision. The Rudd government wants to ensure that this country remains one of the most liveable in the world, and I say to my electorate, ‘I am all ears.’

Debate (on motion by Mr Ian Macfarlane) adjourned.